Stop Raising Your Risers—When You Actually Need to Add a Head
When shrubs grow and block spray patterns, the instinct is reasonable: raise the head to clear the foliage. This is almost always the wrong solution.
Add heads, don't raise them.
This fundamental principle saves water, prevents disease, and protects your investment.
DON'T DO THIS: Raised riser with extensions creates long-term problems
Why Raised Risers Cause Problems
Water on foliage
Raised heads hit plant leaves instead of ground. Water on leaves promotes fungal disease and wastes water—leaves don't absorb irrigation.
Wind vulnerability
Higher water equals more wind drift. Your spray ends up on the sidewalk instead of your plants.
Physical vulnerability
A 12-inch raised riser gets snapped off by mowers, feet, or dogs. Flush-mounted heads survive.
It doesn't solve the problem
Shrub growth is progressive. If you raise today for a 2-foot shrub, you'll raise again at 3 feet. This is a delay, not a strategy.
Head too low doesn't clear grass - but raising it isn't the answer
What the Problem Actually Is
1. Head placement doesn't account for mature landscape
The system was designed when plants were small. Your landscape has evolved, but your irrigation coverage hasn't.
2. Coverage gaps require additional heads, not taller ones
A single raised head can't cover what's behind the foliage. The blocked area still receives inadequate water.
Common problem: Head too low and leaking - but raising it creates new issues
Proper popup heads extend when operating, then retract flush to ground
The Correct Solution
Add heads, don't raise them.
If shrubs have matured past spray clearance:
- Add a head on the far side of the bed to restore coverage
- Convert the blocked head to drip or remove it entirely
- Redesign coverage patterns for the zone as it exists today
This maintains proper water distribution, keeps water off foliage, and accounts for the landscape as it actually exists—not as it was when the system was installed.
CORRECT: Water reaches ground for efficient irrigation
When to Call a Pro
Adding a head to an existing zone requires:
- Calculating whether the zone can handle additional flow
- Tapping into existing lateral line without disrupting coverage
- Matching head type and precipitation rate to existing heads
- Proper spacing for head-to-head coverage
A raised riser is a 10-minute DIY job that creates long-term problems. A properly added head solves the problem permanently.
Professional installation ensures proper coverage, flow calculation, and zone compatibility
Wrong Solution
Raised Riser
- •Water hits foliage
- •Vulnerable to damage
- •More wind drift
- •Temporary fix only
- •Doesn't fix coverage gaps
Right Solution
Add Heads
- •Water reaches ground
- •Flush-mount protected
- •Minimal wind impact
- •Permanent solution
- •Restores proper coverage
Shrubs Blocking Coverage?
We add heads and redesign zones for mature landscapes. Get proper coverage without the long-term problems of raised risers.